Chapter Five: Black Zone Simulation

Ten minutes later, the simulation began. When Astra-X entered the war zone, black fog swallowed its vision at once. The perception link was cut into fragments by interference. Low-frequency echoes from Void mechs moved through the ruined city. The enemies generated by the system were not ordinary training targets. They were black machines modeled from combat data recorded at Helios-9. Leon's scalp tightened. This was not just an academy test. This was war getting closer. "Channel check," Mira said calmly. "Report status." "Rafe. Propulsion intact." "Ilya. Scouting limited. Black Zone interference exceeds textbook standards." "Tao. Escort units online." Leon said, "Astra-X perception suppressed, but mobile."